Emerich Grinbaum - October 3, 2000 & January 8, 2001

Relations with Non-Jews II

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Can you remember as a, as a young boy how you felt about all this going on? Was it puzzling to you? Did you...

Always.

...understand what it was going on?

Always, always, always You know, you know, I practically I never had non-Jewish friends because the, the area which we lived there were only Jews. School, only Jews. No the, in that building, next neighbors and all, all, always all Jewish.

But your father had non-Jewish...

Customers.

...customers.

Yes. Sure. So, he had contacts and--I had, I had very little contact when playing soccer or something like with you know, with them. That, that's the only, only contact. I didn't have friends. Uh, my friends were all Jewish, mostly from the Hebrew school. And, and uh, I was, I was always puzzled, you know. I, I always felt that they are not worse than--and I uh, I was aware what Jews all about, the history. And, and until now. Even now...

Now.

I still, I still don't understand, you know. The, this two-thousand year hatred which is you know, uh, irrational and... Although some try to rationalize about this, but you know. The Jews are the communists and the capitalists and whatever, you know. And the socialists and the anti-socialists, everything.

So did you--was there discussion in your household about this?

Not political. No.

No political discussions. Was there talk about trying to get out and go to, go to Palestine?

No. First of all, after '38 there was no way to get out. The Hungarian. During the--those years before '38 when there was Czechoslovakia you could get out, yes. But you know, there was, we lived a good life, you know. Eh, small, the youngsters, especially those who graduated the Hebrew school with very b...Zionist upbringing, a lot of the, those young people left for in '35, '36, '37, '38. I was at that time in elementary school. But I know. And those who man...then managed and they survived.